Coilable measuring device



Sept. 3, 1935. F. A. VOLZ 2,013,322

COILABLE MEASURING DEVICE Filed July 7, 1952 Fig.7

M W VOW Patented Sept. 3, 1935 COILABLE The Stanley (301111., assignor to Works, New Britaimflonm, a corporationof Connecticut 7 V Application July 7, 1932, Serial No. 621,220 2 Claims. 01. 3s 13sI) This invention relates,-generally, to measuring devices of the type which includes a flexible rule or tape, and' resilient means for automatically winding or aiding in winding the tape into coiled form within a suitable casing. The invention,

. casing in slightly spaced more particularly, relates to the construction of the casing and to the manner in the inner end of the winding strip is anchored in place. An aim of the invention is to' providean improved casing comprising two complementary parts which are very simply interlocked against relative rotation, the construction being such that this interlock is obtained without; any'additional expense.

A further aim of the invention is to provide, in a coilable measuring rule of this type, an improved, simplified and economic arrangement manchoring the winding strip or blade to the central post or stud within'the casing. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter. The invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combination of "elements and arrangement of parts "which will be exempli-fied in the construction hereinafter set forth and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in'the appended claims.

the accompanying drawing, wherein is shown, for illustrative purposes, one embodiment which the present invention may take:

Figure l is a side view of the complete device; Fig. 2 is an inside view of that half of the casing which carries the stud or post, a portion of the winding strip or blade being illustrated;

' Fig. 3 is an edge view of the two parts of the apart relation; Fig. 4, is a view similar to Fig. 2 on an enlarged scale; V V

Fig. 5 is a sectional viewtaken through the overlapped port-ions of the casing, this view being taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 7;

v Fig. 6 is a side elevational View of the central stud; and

Fig. 7 is an edge View of sembled casing. Referring to the drawing in detail, the casing, designated generally by the letter A, is of circular form and comprises two cup-shaped members It! and H, the open end of one of which is adapted to telescope intothe open end of the other. Each of these members is preferably formed of thin metal by stamping out a blank to the desired configuration and then drawing or spinning the blank to cup-shaped form. The member I has a side Wall I2 and a peripheral cylindrical wall l3,

aportion of the as- The other part II of the marginal edge of which is offset outwardly so as to provide 'a flange 14 of increased diameter, and. an internal seat [5. This flange extends substantially, but not all of the way, around'the ,part Hi, there being, between the ends of the i flange; a portion [6 which has the same radius as the peripheral wall 13; that is to say, the portion i5 is in thefcircumference of the wall 13. There is thus provided, at the opposite ends of the flange l4, oppositely facing internal and latl0 erally extending shoulders I1 and l8, respectively; 'The peripheral wall of the part ill has a transversely extending notch, IQlocated between the ends .of' the flange l4 and opening into the edge of the portion" it. The rear edge of this 15 notch may have an integral and outwardly extending tongue 20. I

the casing has a side wall 25 and a peripheral cylindrical wall 26 of a diameter'corresponding to the peripheral wall I3. The cylindrical wall 26 is provided with a stepped notch having an outer portion 21 corresponding inwidthto the notch l9 and adapted, when the parts are assembled, toform with that notch an entranceopening or slot for the flexible tape, 25 which is .designatedflgenerally by the letter T. The slotin the part ll also has an enlarged porplan 28 adapted, to accommodate the portion iii of the part 10. The ends of the enlarged notch 28 constitute shoulders 29and38 which are adapt- 30 ed to respectively engage the shoulders Ill and T8 when the parts are assembled.

When the parts of the casing are assembled, the marginal portion of the cylindrical wall '26 fits snugly jandfrictionally'within the flange 14 and bottoms against the internal shoulder l5 of the "part '11). "The enlarged notch 23 accommodates the portion 15 so that relative rotation of the two parts of the casing in either direction is efiectively prevented} It will be seen that'both All) parts of the casing may be very cheaply and economically made by merely stamping out a blank and thendrawing the blank to form. The enlarged portion of the notch 28 may be cut at the same time that the narrowportion 21 is cut and at no additional expense. The flange l4 may be formed as described during the single drawing operation of the cup-shaped member ID. Thus, the interlock between the parts of the casing preventing those parts from rotating relative to one another in either direction is obtained at no additional expense over what the cost of manufacturing the parts would be without that interlock. The ease and facility with which the two parts of the casing may be assembled are apparent.

winding strip to the stud.

improved arrangement for anchoring the inner end of the winding strip to the central stud, and which arrangement, while being at least as effective as the old arrangement, is-characterized by its simplicity,

ing strip may be The central stud of post 35issuitably anchored to one part of the casing, in the present instance I designated generally by the letter. B and where, the. tape comprises a strip of resilient metalhaving aconcavo-convex form so that,,when "ex- I which is to the part It as by a heading operation. j This studmay, as usual, have a ,threaded'bore adapted to receive a screw 36 which is employed for holding the two parts of the casing together. This stud, which is of generally cylindricalform, has,

atone side, a pressed out wing 31 which maybe formed by pinching a portion of the periphery of the stud between apairof opposed dies and jaws. There is thus formed on the stud a radially disposed .longitudinallyextending'shoulder 38 and a chordal surface 39 disposedgenerally at right angles thereto. The winding strip or blade is tended, itwill automatically assume a rectilinear state or rod-like form, this winding strip may comprise a metal ribbon coiled upon itself and. having a tension which is only such as to approximately balance the resistance of friction and the tendency of the measuring strip to resist bending. The inner end of. this strip is bent back "upon itself so as to form a hook 40, the edge of adapted to take'in behind and engage ,the'shoulder 38 of the stud. The inner face of theho'oklr'ests upon'the chordal surface 39. With this arrangement, it will be seen that,' to engage the strip with'the stud, it is merely necessary to place the hook behind'the wing, draw the end of the hookagainst the shoulder 38, and then wind the strip about the stud. "The second convolution of the strip will engage the hooked end thereof and thus hold the hook in engagement withthe wing. It will be observed thatthis arrangement is an extremely simple one, the cost of forming the wing on the stud and'the hook old arrangements, considerable difiicultyis experienced in properly attaching the As previously stated, an aim of the present invention is to provide an by its economy in manufacture, V and by the ease and facility with whichthe windassociated with the stud. This arrangement will now be described.

bordering said notch that on the winding strip being practically negligible. The assembly of the strip about the stud may be 7 very quickly and easily effected.

As many changes could be made in the above I construction and many apparently widely different embodiments of this invention could be made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in thefaccompanyin'g drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in 10 a limiting sense.

It is also to be understood that the language used in the following claims is intended to cover all of 'the generic and specific features of the invention herein described and all statements of the scope=of the'inven'tion which, as a matter of lan guage, might besaid to fall therebetween.

I claim as my invention:

1. A casing for a coilable measuring device comprising two cup-shaped complementary members each of which has a side wall a cylindrical peripheral wall, one of said members having a transversely extending notch in its peripheral wall anda radially ofiset flange at its open end extending around 7 short of said notch with ends comprising portions 7 are inset with respect to said flange, the other of said members having in its peripheralwall anienlarged notch opening peripheral edge of said second member being adapted to engage within the flange of the first member with the edges of the enlarged notch; en-

its periphery and terminating 5,

intothe marginal edge of said membenand 2. s 9 narrow notch leadingfrom said larger notch,-tne

gaging the internal ends of said offset flange, saidv ,3

narrow notch and said first mentioned notch constituting an entrance opening for the measuringtape'.

2. A casingtfor a-coilable measuring device comprising two complementary sheet metal cup- 40 shaped members each having an end wall anda generally cylindrical peripheral wall, one of said members having a'notch opening into the edge of the member'and a radially offset flange at-its V marginal edge extending around its periphery f and terminating short of said notch with ends comprising portions bordering said notch that are inset with respect to said flange so asto provide a pair of internal oppositely faci'ng shoulsaid members having an end wall and a generally cylindrical wall, the marginal edge of the latter of which is adapted to engage within said flange, the peripheral evall of said second member, havders to opposite sides of said notch, the other of ing a notch with a portion complementary to said first notch and a larger portion at the marginal edge of said member adapted to receive the a 'marginal portion of the peripheral wall of the,

first member between the ends of said flange.

FREDERICK A. voLz." 

